


Dying in the Shadows

by cursedbythelove



Category: Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Corona virus themed epsiode, Gen, Kirk is bi if you squint hard enough, They are on a mission to save the day, college lol, critique on capitalism, like I literally had to write a star trek fan fic for my final, no romance sorry :/, the way this was legit a final I had to write for my english class
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:28:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28080948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cursedbythelove/pseuds/cursedbythelove
Summary: When the Enterprise gets a distress signal about a deadly virus infecting the entire planet they are passing by, Kirk, Spock, and McCoy have to decide what lengths they'll go to save an entire population from extinction.
Relationships: James T. Kirk & Leonard "Bones" McCoy & Spock, James T. Kirk & Spock
Comments: 3
Kudos: 8





	Dying in the Shadows

**Author's Note:**

> So I took a class about Star Trek this semester because why not and our final project was to write a fanfiction about one of the series. So yes I had to turn this in for a grade. Decided to make a covid themed episode and see how the characters would react to a planet infected by a covid like virus. But it's less about covid and more of a critique on capitalism and how the United States is currently treating the pandemic. Anyway, I don't expect anyone to read it (other then my professor and TA) but I thought it would be still funny to post, especially since this is the first fanfiction I've posted since I was 13 and in love with Harry Styles.

**_Captain’s Log, Stardate 3345.7_ **

**_We are passing a cluster of planets on our way to the planet of New Gaia._ **

“Captain, we are receiving a distress signal from one of the planets,” Uhura states, waking Kirk from where he was dozing off in the Captain’s seat.

“Any information on the nature of distress they are experiencing?” Kirk asks.

Uhura pauses a moment, listening to the repeating signal that is being broadcasted to the coms of the Enterprise. “It appears to be some sort of virus infecting the inhabitants of the planet. They are requesting immediate assistance to anyone who catches the signal.” 

Kirk stands up from where he is seated and begins to pace. He can feel the eyes of his crew follow him as he thinks about how to handle this situation. On one hand, they need to get to New Gaia as fast as possible but on the other hand, they can’t just leave an entire planet in distress. They have the potential to save an entire planet; they should not back down from that. “Spock,” Kirk finally says, standing still. “Lets go get Dr. McCoy and see what we can do.”

Kirk, Spock, and Dr. McCoy beam down into the middle of a bustling city. It is one to rival those on Earth, with tall metallic buildings and vehicles that appear to be floating above the ground. The people of this planet all seem to be dressed in rich robes of all colors, their voices echoing off of the endless sea of metal. Kirk spins around, confused. Did they get the coordinates wrong? Weren’t they receiving a distress signal about a deadly plague running rampant here? 

“These people don’t look very sick to me,” McCoy finally says, breaking their confused silence.

“Maybe it was an old signal that they just forgot to stop transmitting?” Kirk says. Spock just hums in response. “Whatever it is, we should find whoever is in charge and get to the bottom of this,” Kirk says. 

Before they can move from the spot where they are standing, where the chaos of life seems to part around them, several figures dressed in a sort of metallic armor, helmets covering their face, roughly grab the three of them.

“Unauthorized visits to the Capital will not be tolerated. State your name and identification number,” one of the figures hisses.

“I am Captain Kirk of the Enterprise, and my fellow crew members and I have come here in response to a distress signal we have received from your planet.” 

“There is no distress signal being broadcasted here,” the figure holding Kirk says. The helmet they wear amplifies their voice through some sort of speaker, making it sound more like a computer than an actual human.

“That may be the case, but we would still like to confirm with whoever is in charge here. We have the resources to help if help is needed,” Kirk says, trying to maintain an air of authority despite being manhandled by this strange police force.

Without another word, the police start to drag the three Enterprise crew members through the city, heading towards the largest building located at its center. As they walk, Spock looks around, noting the lifestyle of this alien planet. It appears it is one of luxury where people spend their time shopping and eating at various restaurants. It appears that not many people in this city actually work in the way that humans and Volcans would describe working.

They make it to the large tower at the center of the city, and after being thrust into an elevator that is so smooth, it doesn’t even feel or sound like it is moving, they find themselves in a large room, surrounded by a semi-circle of people, all staring down at them. 

“State your name and identification number,” one of the council members states, just like the police had. 

“I am Captain Kirk of the Enterprise; we have come here to investigate a distress signal we received from your planet,” Kirk repeats, already feeling a headache forming behind his eyes due to the circular nature of every interaction he seems to have with these people.

“I can assure you there is no distress here,” the council member, sitting directly in front of them, states, almost laughing at the thought.

“The signal said there is some sort of virus infecting the planet,” Dr. McCoy speaks up. 

The council member looks around at the other members before bursting out into a booming laugh, the other members following suit. When he finally catches his breath, he says, “Maybe once, a long time ago, we had a deadly virus infect the people of this planet; however, that was long enough ago that we have gotten it under control. What you heard must’ve been an old signal.” Kirk looks at the council member like he doesn’t believe what he is saying. Something about this situation doesn’t sit right with him. The council member must sense his unease and open his arms wide. “If you don’t believe me then I invite you to stay for a few days, you can go about your little investigation while also enjoying the splendors of what this city has to offer. We have the most sought after cuisine in this solar system.” 

Kirk actually takes a minute to consider the offer. Staying here for a least a day or two would allow them to get to the bottom of whatever it feels like this council is hiding, and those restaurants did smell delicious when they walked past them. 

“Fine,” he finally says. Spock and McCoy look at him questioningly. “We will stay, and if all goes well maybe, we can have a nice chat about joining the Federation.” Kirk flashes a smile, a smile that never fails to win over the likes of both men and women, the smile that had helped him rise through the ranks, making him the Captain of the Enterprise. The council member returns his smile with one that looks more pained than anything, but Kirk just pretends not to see it.

The High Council appointed one of their members to show the three Enterprise crew members around the city. His name is Achan. He seems to constantly have a furrowed brow and looks considerably younger than the rest of the council members. 

“So Achan, what is your role in the council?” Kirk asks as they make their way down a maze of winding, windowless hallways. 

“I am more of an errand boy than anything. My voice has no sway compared to the older members,” Achan explains. He suddenly stops in front of a door and places his hand on the center. The door glows slightly before sliding open. “This is where you will be staying,” he says, stepping inside. The room is simple, with three beds, equal distance apart. Like the hallways, there are no windows. It reminds Kirk of his own sleeping quarters on the Enterprise, but even those feel nicer than this. “I will be alerted every time you leave this room, but if you need me, press this button.” Achan points to a large button next to the door. “I hope you enjoy your stay here on Varda.” 

The next day, the Capital City of Varda seems to be just as lively as the day before. There are large groups of people gathered together in the streets, music is being played from somewhere in the distance, and children weave between the legs of pedestrians as they chase after each other. It appears there is nothing out of the ordinary on this planet. In fact, it seems to be thriving in a way that the people of Earth could only wish to achieve. 

“Where is your favorite place to eat?” McCoy asks Achan. “Because I’m starving.” Achan leads them to a less crowded cafe, and they take a seat at one of the tables. A woman comes up to them and greets Achan by name. 

“And who do you have here?” The woman, who introduces herself as Nari, asks.

“Just some guests of the council. We’ve come to eat your delicious food.” Nari smiles and walks towards the kitchen. Soon she brings out plates of the most bizarre-looking food Kirk has ever seen. It’s piled high, with multi-colored steam pouring off of it. The Enterprise crew members gape at the sight before them. McCoy is the first to reach for the food, digging in almost immediately. Soon Kirk and Spock follow suit. It is nothing like they have ever tasted before. After they devour the food, Achan leads them back into the crowds on the streets and continues to shepherd them to various shops and markets, describing everything in vivid detail. Before long, the sun starts to set, and they find themselves back in their small room. 

“So what did you think?” Kirk says when the three of them are each sitting on their respective beds. 

“Everything seems great to me. Seems like a place I would like to live,” McCoy says.

“And you Spock?” Kirk asks.

Spock pauses a moment as if thinking. “When we first were led through the city, I found it odd that almost no one in this city works, however after today, I realize that statement is not true. People here actually work in order to keep up this air of luxury and ease; however, they are hidden in the shadows.”

“You say it like it’s a bad thing. There will always have to be someone to do the dirty work, right?” McCoy says. Spock doesn’t answer but instead stares off, his face scrunched up, deep in thought.

“You might be reading too much into it,” Kirk tries to reassure. “It just seems like they have a sort of class system in place. We can’t fault them for that.”

Spock is woken up to the sound of someone violently coughing. Their room is still dark. He feels disoriented, not knowing exactly where he is. “Captain?” He asks.

“I’m fine,” Kirk wheezes in response. “I think I might have some sort of allergy here.” 

Spock wants to say more, but sleep drags him back to the depths of unconsciousness.

The next morning when the door to their room slides open, the man standing in the doorway is not Achan. Instead, this man is taller than Achan, looking several years older with eyes that look like they could pierce through steel.

“Where’s Achan?” McCoy asks. 

The man looks at McCoy like he has just grown two heads. “I am Achan,” he states simply. The three Enterprise crew members look at each other confused but don’t say anything more, instead of following this new Achan through the door. 

The day goes frighteningly similar to the one before. This new Achan even takes them to the same places. However, with each place, they revisit there are new faces introducing themselves the same as the person the day before. The uneasy feeling both Spock and Kirk have had since arriving here only grows tenfold. Even at the cafe they went to the day before; a different woman comes to greet them. It is unsettling, to say the least.

Halfway through the day, Kirk dissolves into another violent fit of coughing. It is as if the world around them stops at the sound. A look of terror flashes across the face of the new Achan. He quickly ushers them back to their room at the tower of the High Council. When the door slides closed behind them, Spock realizes how sick both Kirk and McCoy look. They are both extremely pale, sweat dripping down their forehead and a slight wheeze to each breath they take. 

“Hand me my bag,” McCoy coughs. Spock does what he is told and hands McCoy his bag. McCoy digs through it and takes out an item that looks like a wand. He presses a button, and a bright red light comes out of the end, scanning the three of them. There is a beep, and then a large amount of data starts to be projected against one of the walls. McCoy reads the data and sighs. “It appears that the Captain and I have contracted some sort of virus; however, Spock, you seem to be fine.” 

“Do you think this is the virus we received the distress signal about?” Kirk asks, collapsing onto his bed.

“It would be a strange coincidence if it wasn’t,” McCoy says.

“This may explain the strange disappearance of Achan and all the other working-class members from yesterday,” Spock says.

“So you noticed that too? I thought I was going insane,” McCoy says.

“Can I use that device you just used to detect the virus?” Spock asks. McCoy wordlessly hands Spock the device.

Spock walks over to the door and places his hand on the center, and it slides open. As soon as he steps past the threshold, the new Achan is there to greet him.

“How may I assist you?” He asks. Spock doesn’t say anything but holds up McCoy’s device and presses the button, scanning the new Achan. 

_“Virus detected,”_ the device announces in a robotic voice.

“I would like to see the High Council,” Spock says. 

“Right this way,” the new Achan says, leading him down the hallway. 

Spock steps into the same large, circular room he was in just two days prior. For the first time since arriving on this planet, Spock sees the same faces on two separate occasions. The same members sit around him, their eyes boring into him. Without saying anything, Spock presses the button on the device and scans the entire room.

“ _Virus detected,_ ” the device says again.

“So, you lied. There is a virus infecting this planet. In fact, you are all infected. So why not agree to our help?” Spock asks.

“Of course, we know about the virus. But like I said upon meeting you, the virus is no longer of concern,” the leader of the council states.

“How is it not of concern if your citizens are dying every day?”

“It is not of our concern because the virus is why we are able to live the life we do. To try to cure the virus would fundamentally change the way we live, and that is something we cannot afford.”

“And what kind of life do you live that needs protecting?” Spock asks.

“This life of luxury,” the High Councilor says, spreading his arms out wide. “Only when you stare death in the face are you truly free. This is a fact everyone here on the planet Varda agrees upon. You saw how happy everyone was in the city; you felt their joy seep into their bones. Do you really want to take that away from them?” 

“What I saw were hard-working people working in the shadows so people like you can thrive. I did not see a society where everyone gets this freedom you claim everyone has.” 

“Like death, the class you were born into can not be avoided or changed. That is how life is here. All the citizens know this.” 

“So you rather accept your fate than do anything to change it?” Spock asks. He feels anger bubble up inside of him, a feeling he knows comes from his more human side. 

“And who do you think you are to come down here and try to destroy our entire way of life? You are just one man, on one ship. No one asked for your help.”

“But they did. That distress signal was someone asking for help. It is enough grounds to do so.” 

“Can I ask?” The High Councilor says, not listening to what Spock has to say. “Are the members of your crew sick yet?” Spock does not answer. “I take that as a yes. They have less than 24 hours before the virus takes over their body and kills them. I’m sure you don’t want your precious Captain to die. So I’ll offer you a deal. I’ll give you something that will sustain them long enough for them to beam back up to your ship and get the treatment they seek, only if you leave and never return.” 

Spock hates that he doesn’t have to consider his options. His answer is out of his mouth before he even thinks about it. He cannot have Captain Kirk die on his watch. He has no choice but to take the deal. 

Several hours later, the three of them are back on the Enterprise, as it orbits Varda. After taking the medicine the High Councilor gave them, Kirk and McCoy have improved greatly. 

“You know, I could easily engineer this medicine into a vaccine to cure this virus completely,” McCoy says, his eyes glued to the computer screen in his office.

“Do it,” Kirk says, looking over McCoy’s shoulder. “We can see if we can use the food synthesizer to replicate as many as possible and beam that back down to the surface.”

“Are you sure that is a good idea Captain? They may see that as an act of war,” Spock says.

“It is something we have to try. We have to at least give them the tools to save themselves. But beyond that, it is up to them. It is up to them to decide if they want to live or die.” 

On the surface of Varda, mysterious crates of vials of a bright green liquid start appearing. In each crate is a detailed list of instructions on how they can be used to cure the virus. By the time the High Council finds out, the Enterprise is already millions of miles away.


End file.
